For DFG use only Proposal No. Region ERP Proposal Application Form Section 1: Summary Information 1. Project title: Lower Cosumnes River Floodplain Restoration Project 2. Applicant: Ducks Unlimited, Inc. 3. Contact person: Jeff McCreary 4. Address: 3074 Gold Canal Drive 5. City, State, Zip: Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 6. Telephone #: 916-852-2000 7. Fax #: 916-852-2200 8. Email address: [email protected] 9. Agency Type: Federal Agency State Agency Local Agency Nonprofit Organization University (CSU/UC) Native American Indian Tribe 10. Certified Yes No nonprofit If yes, specify the nonprofit organization registration number: Organization: 11. New grantee: Yes No 12. Amount $1,244,991.00 requested: 13. Total project $2,141,699.00 cost: 14. Topic Area(s): Lowland Floodplains and Bypasses (Primary). Riparian Habitat (Secondary). 15. ERP Project type: Full-scale Implementation 16. Ecosystem Natural Floodplain and Flood Processes (Primary) Element: Essential Fish Habitats (Secondary) Riparian and Riverine Aquatic Habitats (Secondary) 17. Water Quality Not Applicable Constituent: 18. At-Risk species Central Valley fall-run Chinook salmon, Sacramento splittail, Delta benefited: smelt, giant garter snake, yellow-billed cuckoo, Central Valley Steelhead, Swainson’s hawk. 19. Project Project objectives are: objectives: • Restore 154 acres of historic floodplain hydrodynamics and riparian forest • Facilitate recovery of Federally endangered and At-Risk species • Provide recreational opportunities for women, youths and disabled persons Time frame: June 2011- December 2013. See Section 6, Item 3, Table 1 on page 12. Section 2: Location Information 1. Township, Range, Portions of the E ½ Section 26 and portions of the W ½ Section Section: and the 7.5 25, Township 5 North, Range 5 East, on the 7.5 minute 1 USGS Quad map Bruceville, CA USGS quadrangle name. 2. Latitude, Longitude Latitude 38.259 North, Longitude 121.396 West (in decimal degrees, Geographic, NAD83): 3. Location description: The proposed project site is a natural appearing 154-acre parcel of historic bottomland adjacent to the Cosumnes River and located approximately 4 miles west of the City of Galt on the Cosumnes River Preserve. Following leveeing off from the River and leveling for crop production in the 1950s, approximately 130 acres of the parcel was in annual row crop production. In 1993, small interior levees were constructed to form two managed seasonal wetlands that are flooded via an agricultural pump on the River. The site now shows signs of reverting to riparian forest, with mature valley oaks surrounding the site. Previous mapping efforts by Preserve staff have revealed that the site’s soils are predominant those documented to be best suited for valley oak riparian restoration. These characteristics give this site excellent opportunity for success through the proposed effort. 4. County(ies): Sacramento County 5. Directions: From the city of Sacramento travelling south on Interstate 5. Take the Twin Cities Road exit. Proceed east approximately 6.5 miles to the “T” intersection at Christensen Road. Turn right onto Christensen Road and proceed south approximately 1.9 miles to Orr Road. Turn right onto Orr Road and proceed west approximately 1.7 miles where Orr Road makes an abrupt 90 degree turn to the left (south). Continue traveling west onto the private road and proceed approximately 0.25 mile to private gate. Proceed west on the private road approximately 0.9 mile past the private residence to the northeast corner of the project area. Contact Cosumnes River Preserve Manager Harry McQuillen at (916) 838-8475 prior to site visits. 6. Ecological The project site is located in Ecological Management Region 2 Management Region: 7. Ecological Eastside Delta Tributaries Ecological Zone Management Zone(s): 8. Ecological Cosumnes River Ecological Management Unit Management Unit(s): 9. Watershed Plan(s): • The Cosumnes River Preserve Management Plan (BLM 2008) • Sierra Resources Management Plan (BLM 2008) • The Cosumnes River Watershed Project (TNC 2000) • Cosumnes River Watershed Project: A Proposal for Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration in the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta (TNC 1996). 10. Project area: 154-acre parcel of Cosumnes River Preserve 11. Land use statement: Within the lower Cosumnes River watershed where the project is 2 located land uses include a mix of intensively farmed lands, rapidly spreading urban areas, and remnant natural landscapes. Much of the land in the greater Cosumnes River watershed is still undeveloped. However, urban and suburban developments spreading from the greater Sacramento area, specifically the Cities of Elk Grove and Galt, are beginning to encroach on the watershed. In addition nearby towns are expected to grow by 250 percent in the next 20 years. 12. Project area % Private_0____; % State___0___ ; % Federal 100 ownership: 13. Project area with As the lead land management agency at the Preserve the BLM is landowners support responsible for stewardship of our public lands. The BLM is of proposal: committed to manage, protect and improve these lands in a manner to serve the needs of the American people. BLM Preserve staff is a key partner in planning, design and implementation of the proposed Project. Section 3: Landowners, Access and Permits 1. Landowners granting access for project: Ducks Unlimited and the Bureau of Land Management have an existing cooperative agreement to manage and maintain Cosumnes River Preserve wetland habitats. Attached at end of proposal. 2. Owner Interest: The Bureau of Land Management holds title on the entire 154 acre project site. Assessors parcel number 14603200080000. 3. Permits: Required permits include CEQA (Mitigated Negative Declaration expected), NEPA (Environmental Assessment expected), ESA Section 7 biological opinions, NHPA Section 106 cultural resources clearances, ACOE Section 404 permit, Clean Water Act Section 401 permit, Regional Water Quality Control Board SWPPP, California Fish and Game Code Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement and CESA clearance, Central Valley Flood Protection Board encroachment permit, and a Sacramento County grading permit. Pre-project coordination has been initiated with the ACOE and a project file number (SPK-2011-00019) has been assigned to the project. 4. Lead CEQA Sacramento County Agency: 5. Required Yes No Mitigation: Section 4: Project Objectives 1. List task information: Goal 2: Ecological Processes, Objective 6. The project proposes to restore naturally functioning floodplain habitat that will be self- sustaining and provide a multitude of ecological benefits for At-Risk species such as fall-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento splittail, Delta smelt, and giant garter snake, as well as sensitive native biotic communities particularly valley oak riparian floodplains. 2. Additional objectives: 3 Goal 1: Endangered and Other At-rsk Species and Native Biotic Communities Objective 1 –Achieving the Primary objective in Item #1 above through reconnection of the floodplain to the river at all flood stages will benefit Cosumnes River rearing/smolting fall-run Chinook salmon and Mokelumne River Central Valley steelhead, as well as provide potential Sacramento splitail, giant garter snake, and Delta smelt habitat. Objective 2 – The tidal slough restoration activities will provide potential foraging habitat for giant garter snake. The riparian restoration activities will provide longer-term benefits for Swainsons hawk and yellow-billed cuckoo. All of these species currently reside on the Preserve near the project site. Objective 3 – The proposed riparian restortion activities will increase one of the most reduced native biotic communities (riparian oak woodland) within the Central Valley. Goal 4: Habitats Objective 1 – The proposed project will restore 154 acres of oak woodland riparian habitat. This restored habitat will be tidally connected to the Cosumnes River recreating vital floodplain habitat during higher flows. The project has been specifically designed to allow fish and aquatic organisms to access floodplain areas when inundated and avoid stranding after high flows. 3. Source(s) of above information: Bayley, P. 1991. The Flood Pulse Advantage and the Restoration of River-Floodplain Systems Regulated Rivers Research & Management 6(2):75-86. California Department of Fish and Game. Ecosystem Restoration Program, Conservation Strategy for Stage 2 Implementation, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Ecological Management Zone Fleckenstein, J., M. Anderson, G. Fogg, and J. Mount. 2004. Managing surface water and ground water to restore fall flows in the Cosumnes River. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management-Asce 130(4):301-310. Florsheim, J. L., and J. F. Mount. 2002. Restoration of floodplain topography by sandsplay complex formation in response to intentional levee breaches, Lower Cosumnes River, California. Geomorphology 44(1-2):67-94. Junk, W. J., P. B. Bayley, R. E. Sparks. 1989. The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. Special publication Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 106:110­ 127. Kjelson, M. A., P. F. Raquel, and F. W. Fisher. 1981. The Life-History of Fall Run Juvenile Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus-Tshawytscha, in the Sacramento San Joaquin Estuary of California. Estuaries 4(3):285-285. Marine, K. R., and J. J. Cech. 2004. Effects of high water temperature on growth, smoltification, and predator avoidance in Juvenile Sacramento River Chinook salmon. North American Journal of Fisheries Management